Playing gaming machines is an enjoyable pastime for many people. Gaming machines include machines that are typically operated by a user by inserting coins, tokens, credit cards, smart cards, tickets or coupons with monetary value. The machines may include, e.g., slot machines, pinball machines, video games and computer stations for playing games alone or with other users, such as bingo, card games and the like. The machines may operate based on both luck and the user's skill. Such gaming machines may be located in casinos, video arcades, gas stations, bars or any other location. The gaming machines may be used for gambling, where the user receives a monetary or other prize when the machine pays off, or simply for amusement.
It is quite common for friends to play slot machine games together. A typical use case is where friends are gathered at a bar, playing a single slot game on the bartop. At the start of play each player inserts their contribution into the bill acceptor of the gaming machine (e.g., $20). If four players were to be playing, the initial credit of $80 is played by the team, with each player taking it in turns pressing the spin button. Usually some informal arrangement is made prior to playing with regard to a stop condition. A common example may be to play until the credits are doubled or exhausted.
While fun, there are some problems with informal teams. It is easy to lose track of who is to spin next. It is also very difficult to see at the end of play who was the most successful player. In addition, more complex rules that dictate which player is to play next are difficult to follow or enforce. While players may share winnings, only one player is able to claim player-tracking credits for the gaming session.
There is a need for, and the present application discloses, a method and system to overcome the above limitations and provide user-configurable rules for team play on a single gaming machine.